Knock 'em Dead
by Moonprincess92
Summary: "The Girl's dormitories were a whirlwind of organised chaos; girl's charmed their hair, while Hermione sat on her bed, wondering why everyone cared so much. It was just a Ball, after all." :Oneshot RHr Hermione-centric duringGoF:


**DISCLAIMER: **Still don't own it.

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Knock 'em Dead.

Blurb …

"The Girl's dormitories were a whirlwind of organised chaos; girl's charmed their hair, while Hermione sat on her bed, wondering why everyone cared so much." [Oneshot RHr Hermione-centric 4th year

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The day past so quickly, Hermione figured she ought to go get ready. She knew she wouldn't be the only one heading up this early. 

She was right of course-the moment she reached the corridor at the top of the stairs, she found herself pressed against the wall, as girl's raced up and down, calling out to friends, asking to borrow a stray bobby-pin, or a pair of shoes.

"Hermione!" She turned and saw Ginny running toward her. "Isn't this exciting?" She asked. She was only a third year, and not very enthusiastic about going to the Yule Ball with Neville, but was excited to be going.

"Yes-very exciting." Hermione said. She didn't really mean it, but said it anyway.

"Well come on." Ginny said. "You've got to start getting ready."

"Why now?" Hermione asked.

"Because." Ginny said, leading her up to where the "3rd Years" and "4th Years" door's stood side by side, with "2nd Years" and "5th Years" next door. "We are girls and that's what girl's do. I find it sompletely pointless starting this early, but there you go."

"And that's _so_ a good enough reason." Hermione said sarcastically. Ginny stopped and stared at her critically.

"What's wrong?" She asked. "You look as if you're being sent to the gallows."

"I don't know." Hermione admitted. She sat down on the carpeted floor and Ginny sat beside her. "I just feel that all this … this madness, it's not necessary."

"I get you." Ginny said. "I do have 6 older brothers. I never got the chance to be girly in my youth. The moment I asked mum about make-up, I was sat on."

"Nice." Hermione said.

"And your best friends are boys." Ginny went on. "They'd think you were insane if you started going on about girl-ish stuff. Ron wouldn't have a clue as to what you were on about. Do they still have no idea you're going with Victor Krum?"

"Not a clue." Hermione said. "And I'm glad-they'd mock me something awful …"

"And what makes you think that?" Ginny asked. Hermione considered this.

"I don't know … I've been the best friend for ages now. I don't think they expected me to want to go to a ball."

"But you do?" Ginny asked.

"I guess." Hermione said. "I might be fun, but I'm worried about what they'll think … especially your brother. He's so determined to find out who I'm going with, it's highly annoying."

"And why are you scared?" Ginny asked. "If anything, you ought to be proud-to be able to go out there on Krum's arm, and say 'I got the best-looking guy in Durmstrang-and a international Quidditch player to boot'."

"He's not that good-looking …" Hermione mumbled. Ginny stared at her. "Oh all right, he isn't that bad. But seriously, you think they'll be _happy _to see me all … girl-ish?"

Ginny smirked. "You keep saying 'they', but you really mean 'Ron'." She pointed out.

"And what do you mean by that?" Hermione asked quickly.

"You're worried about what _Ron_'ll think. You don't care what Harry might have to say."

"Well … maybe you're right."

"Hey-I know I am." Ginny said. She got up and pulled Hermione to her feet. "Now come on, if we don't start now, you're still going to have bushy hair."

Hermione smiled. Ginny really was the girl closest to her. She had never really gotten along with her dormitory mates, Lavender and Parvarti.

Once she stepped through the door, in looked like their room had a cyclone hit it. Parvarti was swishing around her pink robes and was asking the room if she suited pink. Lavender answered that she looked fine as Hermione went to her bed and pulled out her own robe.

It was blue-which was a lot better than the salmon-ey colour Mrs Weasley thought looked good on her. Ginny had bought her own robes at the same time, which were a browny colour. Ginny had complained her mother that she looked like a stick in it, but Hermione thought the colour brought out her eyes.

To be truly honest, Hermione liked the robes. They were really pretty, and as soon as Lavender saw them (Who was wearing purple herself), she gasped.

"That is such a great colour." She gushed, coming forward to feel the fabric. "I bet we could make you look so pretty in that, those guys will be wishing you were their date."

"I wish." Hermione said.

She spent the next hour or so making a potion to tame her hair. She sat I the middle of the girl's bathroom, mixing various ingredients into her caldron. It was a easy potion, but was hard to stir, as it was so thick.

"Uh-what is that?" Parvarti wrinkled her nose as she stepped into the bathroom. Hermione looked up to see Parvarti point her wand at her face, and mutter a spell. Her face immediately looked several shades darker.

"I bit too much make-up, there Parvarti." Hermione said. Parvarti looked as if she'd like to glare, but thought better of it. Instead, she attached a gold piece of twine in her hair and began to plait it.

"Well, you could do with a bit yourself." Parvarti said. "Is that potion ready?"

"It is now." Hermione stood up and brought the pinky mixture to the mirror over the sink. "You don't think you could help me, could you?"

It was the closest they'd ever been. The most Parvarti would speak to her was if she could borrow a quill. But Hermione had to admit-Parvarti knew her stuff.

"It looks … thank you." Hermione said, turning to face her. Her hair … it didn't look as if it belong to her. The Sleek ezy's potion made it shiny and sleek. Parvarti charmed her hair into a bun at the back of her head. With her hair away from her face, it looked as if she was … no, that couldn't be her.

"Eh, your hair isn't that bad." Parvarti said, cracking her knuckles and trying not to look too pleased. "My work here is done."

The potion had taken an hour and to put it in her hair had taken at least half an hour. It was almost 6:30pm with meant she had an hour and a half to get dressed and consult Ginny.

She had never been the one for make-up and dresses and high-heeled shoes. She found it all … a cover-up, really. Lavender tried explaining that make-up was like a mask, to make you feel confident, but in Hermione's eyes, all it did was make her feel like she was hiding herself.

Mind, at that point, she really was trying to.

With 10 minutes to go, the Girl's dormitories were a whirlwind of organised chaos; girl's charmed their hair, while Hermione sat on her bed, wondering why everyone cared so much. It was just a ball, after all.

"A ball where we get to dance and meet new people." Parvarti said through her hangings. "Come on! I have to go meet Harry."

She practically bounced off down into the common room. Hermione didn't know whether she should go down now earlier, or wait until everyone had left, then go meet Victor. She was afraid of running into Harry and Ron … well, more Ron than Harry, though she wasn't entirely sure why.

"You really do look amazing." Ginny said to her. Ginny didn't look too bad herself. She'd always been able to pull off petit elegance. "I can see why Neville asked you."

"Me too, but at least he asked me because he liked me." Hermione answered. She glanced down the stairs, and saw many people in different coloured robes. "Victor too. Ron only asked me because I was a last resort."

"He doesn't really think that." Ginny said. "You need to show him that you're worth way more than a _last _resort."

"Really?"

"Yes." Ginny said determinedly. She turned her to face the stairs. "You should be the _first_ resort. You are going to march down there, and you are going to march straight up to Victor Krum, and you are _going _to have a good time, no matter what my idiot brother says. I honestly don't know what you see in him."

"Know what i-? Ginny, what are you-what?" Hermione spun round to stare at her. Ginny looked innocently back at her.

"What? Everyone knows you fancy him. You're not that subtle." Ginny said. Hermione stared at her. She didn't like Ron ... that was out of the question. But she needed to trust Ginny's words.

"Go on Hermione." Ginny said. "Go out there, and knock 'em dead."

"I-yes, I will." Hermione said. "I'll go out there and … and I'll have a good time."

"That's the confidence I want to hear." Ginny said with a smile. They walked down the stairs and through the portrait hole. Ron was nowhere in sight.

"Remember-find the inner Hermione." Ginny said once the reached the entrance hall and she spotted Victor by the door. "And remember to get me an autograph, please."

Ginny smiled and called out to Neville. Hermione faced back to Victor, just as she noticed Ron and Harry coming down the marble staircase with Parvarti in tow. She glanced back to Victor and smiled. She could almost hear Ginny's voice chiming inside her head:

_Remember-knock 'em dead_.

The End.

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A/N: Our modem broke. As a result, i've had no internet for two days. Two. Days. I had no idea how dependent i was of the internet until i lost it : shudders : but i've got it back now.

So basically in my two days of solitude, i wrote this story (Because i was going mad, hello!). I don't know where it came from, and i have no idea how i came up with it. But i like it. So this is my Hermione-Can-Never-Be-A-Girl-So-I'll-Show-You-Bloody-Ron story.

I hope you like.

Reviews appriciated, until next time-

-Moon. : D


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